


The Trio

by deletingpoint



Series: Love Doesn't Mean a Thing [3]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, F/M, Open Relationships, POV Barbara, POV Butch, POV Tabitha, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-09-12 21:43:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9091909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deletingpoint/pseuds/deletingpoint
Summary: Barbara has decided to take over Gotham City, with the help from Tabitha and Butch of course.WON'T BE UPDATING IN THE NEAR FUTURESorry, I just really-really don't feel it (the chapters are still readable as stand-alones)





	1. It's Gonna Get Messy (Tabitha)

 

„Wake up!“ there was a bossy voice close by, demanding Tabitha to open her eyes. She didn’t, not yet. She felt a big rough hand on her shoulder, accompanied by a low whisper: “Baby, I’m sorry, please just come back.”

It wasn’t the same voice.

“Oh, come on! Don’t hover like that,” the previous female voice was snappy, “Tabitha, wake up!”

Finally, she forced herself to drag her eyes open. Barbara’s nose was practically touching hers, eyes large and bright.

“There! Wasn’t that hard now, was it?” Barb leaned back and sat on the chair beside the bed, almost smiling.

“Tabbie, baby,” Butch was seated on the other side, stroking her face now, “hi there,” he was still so incredibly sweet. This time it was pretty nice.

Then Tabitha remembered: “My hand,” she raised her arm. It was still there, more like there again, immobile and wrapped in layers.

“Still attached, no worries there, sweetie,” Barbara sing-songed, her voice too cheerful to be actually happy.

“Yeah,” Butch was trying to find words, “hey, at least it’s your own. You’ll be better in no time,” his eyes flicked around, mouth smiling too widely.

“Right,” she fell back on the pillows, “in five minutes I’ll be able to throw darts in your face.” The smile faded only a little after the harsh words.

Barbara sighed deeply: “To I have to do everything around here? Tabbie, you will get better, you always do, Butch is just,” she waved her hands, “trying to be nice, feeling guilty as he is. And then we will have our beautiful glorious revenge, how’s that sound, baby? Now, we should get you out of this stinking place.”

Tabitha snorted. “I can barely hold my eyes open, do you have anything against hospitals I don’t know about?” she asked it in a bitter tone, not really interested in the answer. All she wanted was to sleep or scream. It was not in her nature to scream, it really had never been, all the more reasons to want to do it right now. But her throat was too sore and she just didn’t want to care.

“Whyever would you say that, Tabbie? No, just, I know you don’t like it here.”

“Don’t listen to her. You need to rest and they can monitor you here and,”

Tabitha closed Butch’s mouth with her other hand. “I’ll just lose my mind in this place and you know it, no offence,” she added to Barbara without actually looking at her. She noticed her shrug from the corner of her eye though. Why did she still notice these things when she really didn’t want to? “But I am starting to drift away.”

Barbara’s nose was in her face again. “It’s like your eyes are swimming,” her voice betrayed a hint of fascination and now it was Barb’s fingers that drew lines on her face.

“Yeah, like you’re not hoovering?” Butch’s annoyance was muffled and almost a quiet remark to only himself. Almost. Swimming had been an acceptable parallel. It sounded like the waves were crashing in her ears. “Butch, you alright?” she asked not really understanding what she was trying to say.

“Yeah, baby, yeah, you saved me.”

Her eyes closed again, only voices coming through.

“And what good will that do to her? Ugh, you two are just hopeless! Come on, help me get her in to the chair and we’re rolling out of here.”

She didn’t make it hard on them, but refused to open her eyes again. Really, what good was it, she couldn’t even think, all the thoughts just drowning in the waves. The on-the-edge sparkle in Barbara’s eyes, the open-mouthed smile of Butch’s, the winds up above the city, the wind on seas and rocky castles, the crimson red, the twist of wrist when cutting flesh, the cold and stony walls, the haze, the mist, the silence and laughter and pictures just spinning around. Voices more and more distant. It wasn’t like her, but she didn’t care. She gave up and jumped into the sleep.

 

It was night the next time she woke up, alone in her bed right next to Barbara’s. For practical reasons they had two beds in their room and an additional room. Sometimes they needed space and who would want to actually share the same bed for sleeping night after night. When exactly had people started to _want_ that? Sure, if there was no room or only one bed, but otherwise? Tabitha just didn’t understand it. Why be hoarded in one tiny place together when you have the whole house at your disposal. Sometimes, Barbara needed closeness though. Her dreams being erratic and Barbara still trying to make sense of them. Not everything has to have a meaning.

She sat up and reached to click on the light. Of course it had to be the hand that didn’t really work. With a curse she dropped it and used the left hand. Hearts and stars caught her eyes, at least something was the way it was supposed to be.

She barely had to creak the door when Butch was right by her side, trying to awkwardly support her.

She shoved him away. “I am not delirious and my legs work just fine.”

Butch licked his dried lips: “Yeah, yeah, whatever, yeah, Barbara, she’s awake!” he ended his stammering with a call for Barb.

“Coming!” a yell back came towards the stairs. Tabitha already felt suffocated. She tried to flex her fingers, but nothing worked. Of course it didn’t, they were just cut off! She kicked the wall with her heel.

“Tabbie, baby,” Barbara’s voice was mellow, like a pretence. Except it felt more like a pretence of a pretence. Tabitha rolled her eyes and took a step towards the stairs. “Not dead, as a sidenote to both of you!” she still felt angry. She still wanted to scream. Too many close calls would rattle anyone, even her.

“Hey, you wanna eat something?” Butch always had his thoughts on food and Tabitha almost snapped before realizing she really did need to eat something.

“You want some fruit salad with spiced herring?” Barbara laughed.

“Don’t scare me with those combinations, Barb,” she liked Barbara’s laughter. It sounded rehearsed but it wasn’t. It was just her.

“We have a surprise for you,” Barb continued, but Tabitha noticed the warning look on Butch’s face. It was nice to have them both caring, but just not at the same time. It always turned into a mess.

“If you mean the revenge talk, you mentioned. In the hospital,” she said before Butch would’ve started a minor fight.

“Oh, baby! It is _so much more!_ It’s how we can take over the whole city!” Barbara was spinning around with flames in her eyes. Taking over the city was really not a great plan.

“Penguin was behind the death of that librarian,” Barbara whispered and winked her eye.

“So? He wasn’t the one who cut off my hand.” Tabitha blinked. She did not get the connection between revenge and Penguin.

“Well, he was responsible. And he’s been after you for a whole year. Listen, Tabbie, first we destroy Ozzie, I mean Pengui, and then we’ll destroy Nygma. And the librarian is right in the middle of all of it. This city will burn into beautiful colourful flames. And we will run it all!” Barbara’s wide smile and wide arms were trying to make her plan grander.

“Uh-huh. So, is there an actual plan or are you living your glory days right now?” Tabitha didn’t have the patience to humor Barbara right now.

“Yeah, umm, we’re working on it,” Butch said as Barb started to pout, “how about that late dinner now, huh?”

“Yes, yes, we’ll talk later,” Barbara dragged them downstairs to the kitchen.

Tabitha sighed. It was all going to turn bad and bloody messy. But maybe it was exactly what she needed? After finding a moment for that scream still lurking around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kind of promised it a week ago, but yeah, i'm just a bit of a mess right now, sorry!  
> i'm keeping Butch because otherwise it would go to AU territory and i don't want to do that with them right now.


	2. Plotting and Marshmallows (Barbara)

Barbara was stirring her drink and sighing. Again and again and again, she even started to annoy herself, so she drowned her glass and got up. Tabitha and Butch were upstairs. Hell knows what they were doing. Her clear mind was very reassuring: nothing is going on! Tabitha was not in the mood anyway.

Why did it have to be Butch? It couldn’t have been someone else, someone Barb would also find just a tiny bit interesting? Interesting enough to have some playtime _together_ , at least. Now it was all about sharing, sharing Tabitha that is. And Butch was … well, Butch. Good old boring Butch. Nice, but … it was like, it was like Tabitha was in love. Which didn’t make sense at all or maybe everyone had lost their marbles.           Didn’t matter, Tabbie was still here, in their home, she was not leaving Barbara and above all they were friends, they actually talked to each other. No secrets, no fucking around behind each other’s backs (they always made it a show and Tabitha had this weird thing with noises and one time there was this guy with a broken guitar and Tabbie was like a cat with a mouse. Not that she wasn’t like it most of the time, but those strings were just unforgettable).

Barbara shook herself back in to the present and let her eyes wander. It was a slow night, early hours, nothing too shiny like hypnotists. Butch aside, Tabitha’s hand was worrisome. Barbara hadn’t really been around the last time she was injured, but even she could tell that Tabbie hated everything about it and so far she had been pretty nasty to everyone.

She just hoped the whole taking over Gotham would cheer her up. She still didn’t have an actual plan, but she just needed to set things into motion and go with the flow.

So, the librarian, Isabel, Isabella, whatever her name was, got herself killed. The Nygma-guy had been in love with her and Oswald was head over heels for Nygma. So much so that he had sloppily ordered her death. Most probably anyway. Come to think about, it all made sense now. Ozzie’s mysterious disappearings back when she was living with him. Knitting advice and everything. Nygma had been in Arkham  at the time, right? She did remember it being chilly over there. So, the romance had been going on a while now, at least one sided. And now Nygma was Penguin’s right-hand-man (the thought made Barb giggle for a fraction of second, given the circumstances it was a nice piece of dark humour). The one trusted the most, the one loyal to Oswald, the one who convinced Zsasz to work for him. The one who put Jim Gordon behind the bars. If it weren’t for Tabitha, Barbara might actually like the guy. He did have some useful qualities. Would an alliance with him be a bad idea? Tabbie won’t like it, but not her decision! Of course, she should talk to her about. And Butch, he was on their side after all. But last night Tabbie wasn’t really sold to the idea of running Gotham. Maybe it was because of her brother and his bright glorious visions. She should want to see Penguin down, right?

And Barbara had so much energy, she could gather all the power. She hadn’t seen Selina in a while, but she would be on her side, right? She did have some connections with Fish Mooney after all, could be useful. Nygma would get her Zsasz, at least temporarily _and_ access to the families that answer to Penguin right now. Of course, if she could get Falcone … it was part of the reason she visited dear old Lee (along with Lee’s angry adorable look and Tabbie’s one-on-one time with Butch), but he had no interest in Barbara _or_ Gotham. Maybe, just maybe his son would? Couldn’t hurt to ask. Allies, allies were everywhere, the whole city was filled with them, you just gotta find them. An unlikely name popped in her head now, how about Valerie Vale? Barbara had heard about the unfortunate events that got her almost killed. The unfortunate events named James Gordon that is. Really, she didn’t expect nothing more from the guy. But Valerie had been kinda nice, sparkly and pretty and she had noticed her articles. Vicious and bold, that girl was. And as a journalist, she did have some influence to people’s minds.

Her nails were dancing on the wall as she took a few steps upstairs. Perhaps she shouldn’t. Whatever, her home, her castle and all that. “Butch! Tabbie! I’m going out!” she yelled. Butch appeared on the door: “Hey, could you get some marshmallows?”

“Right, ‘cause you can’t bother to move and go find some from the kitchen. She hides them there you know, like I wouldn’t notice.”

“Seriously?” Butch glanced back, stepped out and closed the door behind him. “Where are you headed?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to get us some real life, at the top of the food chain.”

Butch came down and looked around, as if Tabitha could still hear them: “You sure about this? I mean, this could get ugly and Tabbie needs some peace or she will start killing people. And the first victims would be your stuff.”

“Butchie, I thought dramatic was my thing, not yours? Don’t you worry now, I’ll give her some people to kill, that’s what she needs right now.”

“Right. Because you’re just nice like that.”

Barbara took a step close to him, tilted her head and looked the man straight in the eyes: “I’m willing to be civilized here! And no one’s stopping you from leaving. Now, be a good boy and get your lover some marshmallows that she clearly graves. I do love her, after all.”

“You say that about everyone,” Butch mumbled as he turned towards the kitchen.

“Haven’t said it about you! And word of advice, love, it doesn’t mean a thing. I might be crazy, but that much is true. As for Tabitha, we both care, let’s leave it like that. For now. Can’t we just get along like a big happy family?” she mocked-cried with that last sentence.

Butch simply shook his head: “Just don’t get yourself killed before you get back.”

“Aww, how sweet. I’m merely doing some spy-work now, so bye-bye!” she almost left, but then suddenly turned, walked in to the kitchen, got the marshmallows from above the meat-room’s sink and shoved them on Butch. “Just so you wouldn’t forget. See ya!” she waved and got out on the streets.

 

First, she needed to ensure Nygma’s alliance, that was the corner-stone. It wouldn’t be easy, but seeds of doubt could crush a man. The poor thing probably didn’t even know how precious he was to the little bird. He had even tried to prove his own loyalty to the man, unnecessarily. Well, it must’ve made the love flourish even more. Barbara almost felt sorry for Oswald, they had gotten along. But it was his own fault, he had gone too soft. And he still wanted to kill Tabitha _and_ Butch. How they were still alive, she did not know, but she intended to keep it that way. Nygma might’ve been a little overboard with Tabbie, but everybody makes mistakes. He was not their enemy. Penguin was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, this is going to get so messy! (and canon divergence)


	3. Sweet moments (Butch)

 

“Hey, baby,” Butch announced himself, “got you marshmallows,” he swinged the package and smiled a bit crookidly.

“Gimme!” Tabitha sat upright immediately. Her need for sugar had surprised Butch in the beginning, but by now he couldn’t imagine anything else.

“Barbara went out,” he said while handing over the sweets.

“What, she still on that taking over the city plan?”

Butch scratched his nose and shrugged: “Seems like it. You know, I should just go and kill Nygma, screw Barbara Kean and her plans.” He flinched when he noticed that it was the wrong thing to say.

“ _I_ will kill Nygma,” Tabbie was threatening, crushing the marshmallow between her fingers into a disgusting blob. And then she ate it. It looked like a dead bug. Butch had never been able to predict Tabitha’s mood and this time was no different. Was she anticipating the fresh kill with lots of smiles or with a frightening silence?

“Yeah, okay,” was all he answered, deciding to be neutral.

“You already tried to kill him, didn’t work, so be happy, I’m gonna do it for all of us.” Tabitha sighed and sinked back on the bed. “If I could just make this thing work again,” he eyes were fixed on the hand.

“It’s only a second day. And hey, a robothand isn’t that bad either.”

“You should want Penguin dead, not the either guy. Your loyalty is the worst part of you.”

Butch didn’t know what to say about that. She wasn’t wrong, but he knew how to follow orders and he liked it. And Penguin was good at demands, even Fish had been impressed in the end. It was an easy life. And he had been willing to let Tabitha live freely as long as Butch was loyal to him.

“I’m loyal to you,” he said instead, “no one else. Penguin was just a means to an end.”

“Butch, dear, you don’t even believe that yourself. Luckily for you, I do know I’m the first one in your list. I hate being cooped up in here. Where did she go exactly?”

Ah, that was about Barbara, right? The crazy chick who just changes her mood all the time, along with Tabbie’s. “Didn’t say, I’m guessing she went to Nygma,” he said carefully. No need to bring up another angry glare. He got it anyway.

“She’s infuriating. But you know what,” she caressed the lampshade Barb had made her, “she lands on her feet. Damn phoenix she is. Come, sit with me,” she gestured to the bed and Butch managed to fit himself in without taking up too much space, “have you eaten?”

“Yeah-yeah, I grabbed a bite earlier.”

“Good, don’t want you to lose your strength. We’re gonna need it, we’re never gonna change her mind and the more I think about it the more it sounds something I might like. Or need. Damn, that girl knows how to make me interested. Let’s just hope it won’t end up like my brother’s idiotic plans.”

“You seem calm about this. Didn’t think you would.” Calm wasn’t Tabitha’s strongest point. She always preferred to attack people instead of listening to them.

“Just something to keep me occupied,” her healthy fingers were crawling to Butch’s nose and dancing on his whole face. Tabbie liked to play.

“Yeah? I’m glad we ain’t dead. Came pretty close there,” he said as Tabitha took her arm and tucked it under her hair.

“I won’t let you die. I have your love, how could I let anything happen to you? You’re mine, no one’s allowed to touch you,” she snuggled closer to him. Butch felt a little clump in his throat. Sure, he’d had people looking after him, but only to an extent. When it came to a choice, he’d never been anyone’s first choice.

“I love you, baby,” he whispered into her frizzled curls.

“Shut up and eat,” she shoved a marshmallow in his mouth. He grinned while chewing it and felt Tabitha’s eyes on him.

It was nice. Felt like every time they were together, except when angry. There were just feelings floating around. These calm, sweet, mellow feelings that felt natural, that felt real. Sweet moments didn’t belong to the lives of people like him. Or Tabbie. Yet here they were.

 

It seemed like an eternity before Barbara was back and taking a pose on the doorway.

“Aw, my little lovey-dovey ones! You okay,” she lifted her wide grin to Tabitha.

“As well as can be, you?” there was a little hitch of irritation in Tabbie’s voice. Barbara seemed to hear it too, she stepped closed and sat on the floor on the other side of the bed. She was making sad faces blinking her eyes at Tabitha until she cracked a smile.

“That’s better, kitten. I come bearing gifts,” she teared paper off from a coconut chocolate bar, “want some?” there’s a clear suggestion in her voice and eyes. After Tabitha’s nod she bit a good chunk of the bar, her teeth sinking into it, and leaned forward for Tabbie to share the bite. Food sharing, right. Butch looked away as they giggled to see who got more chocolate. Then Barbara turned to him: “Want some? I got chilli ones too?”

“Oh, umm, yeah, sure, thanks,” he took the offered bar. Tabitha took a bite from it as well before he was even finished unwrapping it. He chuckled and started to eat.

“So, offerings done,” Barbara stretched herself on the foot of the bed, “I gotta say, this taking over the city is easier than it seems.”

“Where’d you go?” Tabitha asks, mouth full of chili-coconut-chocolate. Her taste was sometimes just jarring.

“Well, first off, don’t kill me, the pair of you,” her eyes flickered to both of them, “now, I talked to Nygma, told him about the librarian and offered a deal. We take down poor Ozzie together and then,” she flicked her fingers, “ _we_ take over the city. We’ll kill him once Penguin is out of the way, promise you, I promise.”

“Uh-huh, and what else?” Tabitha asked.

“Well, he didn’t say his answer yet. Can you believe it? The moron didn’t believe! No, it can’t be, but Oswald, he’s so wonderful, he’s my best friend, my partner, my mentor, my rock, my shelter, my hero, he would never betray me like that! Ugh,” Barbara exaggerated and mocked throwing up, “I’m telling you, the way he talked about him, not believing a killer could, you know, _murder_ his crush… you might think he was in love with Oswald, not the other way around. Which is why we need to speed it up, once he’s had his proof. Before poor Ed could forget all about revenge. Baby, those two are crazier than we are,” she winked at Tabitha and nodded. Before sprawling her limbs all over the bed. “There’s so much to do! The city’s already buzzling, can you feel it, it’s as if it’s destiny. The sirens are calling it, baby.” She stole a kiss from Tabitha, patted Butch on the hand before suddenly hissing. “Sorry, almost forgot. I got you an appointment for tomorrow, ‘cause of the hand. They say he’s the miracle worker. I mean, it’s not the Indian Hill witchcraft, but you’d be able to at least use your own hand.”

Butch could really kiss her right now. Even if she was batshit crazy.

“Really?” Tabitha asked.

“No promises, but it’ll be better, yeah,” Tabbie was the one to drag Barbara in a kiss.

“Can I stay with you two?” she asked Butch.

“Yeah, sure, Barbara,” he grumbled out.

“Intoxicating!” she howled herself up, toed off her shoes and crashed on the other bed.

Crazy lady. Still, she had her nice moments.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a little bit of cute  
> so sry i've been away, hopefully i can get back on track now :)


End file.
